Coping with Challenges in Teaching Foreign Languages to Children with Mild Intellectual Disabilities: Stakeholders’ Perspectives

Abstract

In this qualitative study, we aim to gain insight into the stakeholders’ perspectives around the inclusion of a mild intellectual disability (MID) student of perinatal origin in the foreign language (FL) classroom, and their perspectives on the student’s working conditions, and the support needed to effectively develop this student’s basic FL skills. The research hypothesis holds that the stakeholders face numerous technical, contextual, and formative challenges which hinder the MID student’s learning conditions in the FL classroom. The study was carried out in a state secondary school of the metropolitan area of Granada (Spain). Different stakeholders participated in this study. As an instrument of research, we designed an in-depth interview with open questions. The data were perused, sifted, and interpreted by means of a content analysis methodology. The main results confirm the research hypothesis since stakeholders’ perspectives are positive towards the theoretical bases of inclusive education. Conversely, we observe that these perspectives are negative when it comes to the real and effective practice of inclusive education in the FL classroom, which would allow them to tailor their teaching methodology to the real needs of the MID student and the rest of students with special educational needs (SEN).